Envest is a for-profit global microfinance fund that offers a unique impact investment opportunity for accredited investors. Envest has delivered strong financial returns to investors while expanding access to credit in underbanked communities. Envest lends to microfinance institutions in the developing world that, in turn, provide microloans to individual borrowers seeking credit. They believe that using financially sound market mechanisms to create a more equitable economy is critical to reducing widespread global poverty.

HISTORY

Envest was founded by Jon Bishop in 2006 with the intention of creating a source of financing for very small microfinance institutions (Tier 3 MFIs), which have traditionally faced greater difficulties in obtaining access to credit than the larger MFIs. 

Envest is comprised of two legal entities, Envest Microfinance Cooperative (Envest Co-op) and Envest Microfinance Fund, LLC (Envest LLC). The Co-op lent to 11 different MFI partners in five countries before transitioning to its current role as the manager of the LLC. Envest LLC was founded in September of 2012 and continues to use the same underwriting standards and management team as Envest Co-op. Envest LLC lends to many of the same MFI partners as the Co-op, and it has developed new partnerships of its own.

PHILOSOPHY

They are dedicated to the belief that reducing poverty is crucial to achieving a socially just and environmentally sustainable world economy. They believe that microfinance can play a critical role in creating the economic opportunities necessary to bring about global financial justice.

MISSION

Envest is dedicated to making financial services universally available by bridging the gap between microfinance and financial markets using financially sound market mechanisms and expanding the scope of microfinance to include the financing of appropriate sustainable technology.

VISION

Envest will play a role in promoting and developing an environmentally sustainable and socially just economy in which basic human needs are met worldwide. They envision a world with universal access to financial services to create the conditions necessary to empower the world’s low-income people to meet their basic needs.